Fluid pump and tank assembly with actuating cam device



Sept. 3, 1957 F. H. FRANTZ ET AL 2,805,002

FLUID PUMP AND TANK ASSEMBLY WITH ACTUATING CAM DEVICE Filed May 15, 1955 FIG. 1

FIG. 2

' INVENTORS FREDERICK H. FRAN TZ WERNER 0. se NK A B) BY -v W ATTORNEYS United States Patent M FLUID PUMP AND TANK ASSEMBLY WITH ACTUATING CAM DEVICE Frederick H. Frantz, Binghamton, and Werner 0. Schink, J

Johnson City, N. Y., assignors to General Aniline & Film Corporation, New York, N. Y., a corporation of Delaware Application May 13, 1955, Serial No. 508,058 2 Claims. (Cl. 222-309) This invention relates to liquid dispensing apparatus,

particularly for such liquids which vaporize under normal 4 atmospheric pressure and thereby have the tendency to vapor lock.

In certain light printing machines of the type employing diazo-sensitized materials, aqua ammonia is used as a developing agent. This liquid has the tendency to form medium was generally used inasmuch as in forced feeding the pressure developed has created problems in vapor locking.

The present invention provides for a combined storage tank and pump assembly for storing and feeding discrete quantities of volatile liquid in accordance with the demand of the machine in which this is utilized.

It is a primary object of this invention to provide a compact storage tank and pump assembly for liquids of the above type.

A particular feature of the invention is that the tank and pump assembly form a simple unit which can readily be placed in a print developer machine and, by virtue of its construction in accordance with the invention, prevents the accumulation of gas in the passage and thereby avoids vapor lock.

Another feature of the invention is that the pump assembly is simple in construction and may be made of plastic material such as methyl methacrylate to be resistant to the corrosive action of aqua ammonia.

Other objects and features will be apparent from the following description of the invention, pointed out in particularity in the appended claims, and taken in connection with the accompanying drawing, in which:

Fig. l is a partial cross section view of the tank and pump assembly;

Fig. 2 is a side elevational view of the unit in an assembled form;

Fig. 3 is a schematic view of one mode of actuation of the pump for controlled quantity feeding of the liquid;

Fig. 4 is a partial side view projection of Fig. 3; and

Fig. 5 is a view showing the arrangement of parts view ing from the top of Fig. 4.

Referring to the drawings, the tank 6 comprises an elongated cylindrical body which is closed at one end, the other end being open and having a circular flange 7. A liquid filling aperture 8 is locked at the top of the tank 6 and may be provided with a suitable plug 9.

Although this tank incorporates a positive displacement pump, as will be described in the following, it is intended to be placed in the position shown in Fig. 2, so that the filling opening is accessible from the top of the tank and the liquid passage therethrough is in a vertical position.

The open end of the tank 6, by virtue of its flange 7, accommodates an annular body which forms the casing 10 of a diaphragm displacement pump 11. The casing has a channel 12 communicating with the bottom of the 2,805,002 Patented Sept. 3, 1957 tank 6 and extending vertically into the casing forming a ball valve seat 13, the ball 14 nesting therein.

A'pressure chamber 15 is formed between inner walls 16. and 17 of the casing 10. An outlet passage 18 is located in vertical juxtaposition with the lower passage 12 and also forms a pressure valve seat 19, a ball 20 nesting therein. An outlet pipe 21 connects with the valve passage in the direction axial to the tank 6. A cover plate 22 of ring-like structure seals a flexible diaphragm 23 against the pressure chamber, the casing 10, the cover plate 22 and the diaphragm 23 forming an assembly which is held by means of suitable rivets 24 against the flange 7 of the tank 6.

Within the pressure chamber and aflixed to the vdiaphragm 23 is a spring support 25 surrounded by a pressure spring 26 which rests againstthe wall 17 atone end and against the rim 27 of the support'25. The latter'is aflixed to the diaphragm by means of a screw or rivet 28 which extends outwardly and secures an actuating button 29 to the outside of the diaphragm. i

The diaphragm pump 11 forms a compact unitary structure with the tank 6 and by virtue of the fact that'the suction valve channel 13 and the pressure valve channel 18 are in a substantially vertical alignment when' the tank is properly placed in.a machine,:the liquid entering atthe bottom of the pressure chamber opening may "contain vapor bubbles which will rise and find an outlet through the outlet pipe 21 without creating a vapor lock. By virtue of this construction, the pump herein described will feed liquid or gas and will not create a vapor lock in any part of the system.

The actuation of the pump 11 may be effected in various ways by causing the button 29 to be depressed and permitting its return by means of the pressure spring 26. This is particularly advantageous when it is desired to meter out discrete quantities of liquid as is necessary in the type of machines for which this tank is intended. Such machines, as is well known in the art, utilize aqueous ammonia in a vaporizing chamber and the amount of ammonia to be fed into the vaporizing chamber for development of print material must be related to the speed of the machine. Certain materials may be processed through the machine at a higher rate of speed than others. Consequently, the speed of the machine must be correlated with the delivery of the developing liquid medium.

Figs. 3, 4 and 5 disclose a preferred embodiment of a synchronized mechanism for such actuation of the pump. A cam 30 having suitable configuration engages the button 29 so that partial rotary displacement of the cam 30 affixed to the shaft 31 will depress the button 29 and thereby move the diaphragm 23 inwardly toward the tank. In order to provide for the adjustment of the amount required for each stroke of the cam 30, the shaft 31 is provided with a plate member 32 which abuts against the adjustable vernier screw 33 at one end and, at the other end, engages a rotary cam 34 which is actuated by the print processing machine, not shown here. The rotational speed of the cam 34 is synchronized with the operation of the print reproducing machine so that if material is processed which requires high speed development then the actuation of the pump will be increased as far as stroke per second is concerned and more liquid will be pumped out of the tank, whereas, if the cam 34 slows down, the number of strokes per unit time of the cam 30 engaging the button 29 will be reduced. The Vernier adjustment 33, when engaging plate 32, tilts the latter and forces engagement of the cam 30 with the button 29 so that the diaphragm may be partially depressed and held in a position to reduce the extent of displacement of the diaphragm. This adjustment is important to determine the amount of liquid to be ejected at the moveni'ent of'the diaphragmfwhereas the rate 6: such ejection iscontrolled by the cam 34.

In Fig. 3 the support of the shaft 31 is shown schematically by the bearing 36 which is suitably placed in the particular apparatus "utilizing this tank "and pump assembly. Similarly,'thevernier adj'ustnient'sc'rew'33 may belocated afiixedtoany portion of the machine which is schematically shown inFig. 4 as the wall 37 which also supports'the' tank 6. 1

Theoperation of this liquid deliveryapparatus is simple, requiring the minimum 'of parts'for'an efficient assembly. The location of the suction valve and pressure valve ports ina straight vertical'line permitsliquid or gas delivery without the danger ofvapor lock inasmuch as this pump will feed vaporsas well'as liquid.

1. Dispensing apparatus for feeding discrete quantities ofa liquid having the tendencyto vaporize, particularly aqua ammonia "used" as the'developing agent in white print reproduction machinesQcomprising a cylindrical storage tank for'said liquid, a membrane displacement pump havingan annular casing forming a wall at one end of said tank, an'opening in the bottom of said casing communicating with said tank, a vertical channel in 'said casing communicating with said opening and formiriga suction valve seat, a vertical outlet channel in juxtaposition with said inlet channel in said casing forming a pressure valve seat, ball valves in said seats, inner walls of said ca'singdefining a pressure chamber separating said channels; a flexible membrane sealing said chambet, a cover plate over said membrane and secured to said casing, spring means therewithin urging'said membrane outwardly, an actuating button affixed to said membrane, lever means engaging said button for flexing said membrane inwardly against said spring means and adjustable means for stop-setting the extent of travel of said lever thereby to regulate the amount of liquid delivered per unit stroke oisaid lever means.

2. Dispensing apparatus in accordance with claim 1 wherein said lever means comprise a rotatable shaft having a vertically extending finger-at one end thereof engaging said actuating button, a horizontally disposed plate 'attached to said shaft, a rotating cam lifting one end' of said plate thereby causing rotary motion of said shaft in the direction forcing said finger to displace said button, and said adjusting meanscomprising a stop engaging the other end of said plate and being positionable for lifting said plate away from said cam thereby shortening the active stroke thereof.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,325,773 Ba b endr eer Dec. 23, 1919 2,027,500 Vanderlip Jan. 14, 1936 2,585,172 Reynolds Feb. 12, 1952 2,619,907 Paterson Dec. 2, 1952 FOREIGN PATENTS 681,841 Germany Oct. 3, 1939 

